Container



March 15, 1932- A M. LOEWENTHA| 1,849,676

CONTAINER I Filed Maron 26. 1929 Patented Mar. 15, 1932 UNITED STATES MARTIN LOEWENTHAL, OF NEW YORK, N. Y.

CONTAINER Application filed March 26, 1929. Serial No. 349,928.

This invention relates to containers, and has for its general object and purpose to provide a container for various commodities provided with cover or closure means which may be utilized as a game board.

It is one of the novel and important features to provide a container of relatively small dimensions with cover or closure means so constructed and connectedl with the body l@ of the container that when disposed in one position with respect thereto, a game board having a playing eld of relatively large dimensions is provided.

More particularly, in one practical embodiment of the invention, the cover means consists of main and supplementary cover members hingedly connected with the front and rear walls respectively of the body of the box or container and adapted to lie in superimposed closed position over the container compartment with the uppermost member iush with the upper edges of the end walls of the box or container and said supplementary cover member adapted to be po sitioned in laterally extending relation to the rear wall of the box and in the same plane with the main cover member, the exposed surfaces of said cover members having a playing field suitably delineated thereon.

It is another important object of the' invention to provide simple and easily operable means for rigidly supporting said supplementary cover member in its extended position whereby the required stability is 0btained, obviating the accidental movement of said member relative to the body of the box or container and the displacement of the playing pieces which may be arranged thereon. In a preferred structural form of this feature of my present disclosure, I provide the main cover member with one or more shiftable locking rods which may be projected beyond one edge of said member through openings in the rear wall of the box or contrainer and into coinciding bores formed in the supplementary cover member.

It is a further general object of the invention to provide a containerv of the above character of relatively simple construction and which may be produced at low manufacturing cost so that it can be utilized as a sales promoting feature in connection with various vendible commodities.

W'ith the above and other objects in view, the invention consists in the improved container, and in the form, construction and relative arrangement of its several parts as will be hereinafter more fully described, illustrated in the accompanying drawings, and subsequently incorporated in the subjoined claims.

In the drawings, wherein I have illustrated one simple and practical embodiment of the invention, and in which similar reference characters designate corresponding parts throughout the several views,-

Figure l is a perspective view of the box or container showing the same closed;

Fig. 2 is a top plan view, the supplementary cover member being illustrated in its open position to form in conjunction with the main cover member, a game board, and both of said cover members rigidly locked to the body of the box or container;

Fig. 3 is a sectional view taken on the line 3 3 of Fig. 2;

Fig. l is a transverse section taken on the line 4-4 of Fig. l, and

Fig. 5 is an enlarged detail section taken on the line 5-5 of Fig. 2. 80

Referring in detail to the drawings, the body of the box which may be of any suitable dimensions for the purpose of containing cigars, candy, gloves, handkerchiefs, or other commodities, is preferably constructed of wood and includes front and rear walls 5 and 6 respectively, and end walls 7 suitably secured to the bottom member 8. As will be noted from reference to Figs. l to 3 of the drawings, the end walls 7 are of greater width than the front and rear side walls and project" above the upper edges of the latter as indicated at 9. The extent of such projection, is substantially equal to twice the thickness of one of the cover members to be presently referred to.

In spaced relation to each of the end walls 7, a transverse partition wall 10 is secured within the box or container, thereby providing the main compartment 11 and the relatively narrow end compartments 12. The upper edges of the partition walls 10 are disposed below the plane of the upper edges of the front and rear side walls 5 and 6.

The cover or closure means for the box or container, consists of a main cover member 13 and a supplementary cover member 14, the former being hinged along one of its longitudinal edges to the upper edge of the front wall 5 of the box at the inner side thereof while the latter cover member 14 is similarly hinged along one longitudinal edge to the upper edge of the rear side wall 6 of the box at the outer side thereof. The cover member 13 when closed, immediately overlies and completely covers the compartments 11 and 12 and has its upper surface positioned substantially in the same plane as the upper edges of the front and rear walls 5 and 6. This cover member 13 is of somewhat less width than the cover member 14, which when in closed position, is superimposed upon the cover member 13, the free longitudinal edge of the member 14 being substantially fiush with the outer face of the front wall 5 of the box while the upper surface of said cover member is likewise substantially flush with the upper edges of the end walls 7 of the box.

The upper surface of the main cover member 13 and the lower surface of the supplementary cover member 14 which are oppo-sed to each other when the box or container is closed, are provided with two parts of a playing field generally indicated by the numeral 15, and the upper edge of the rear wall G may also have delineated thereon a. portion of the playing field so that when the cover member 14 is in the open position as shown in F 2 of the drawings wherein the upper surfaces of the two cover members and the upper edge of the rear wall 6 of the box are disposed in a common plane, a substantially continuous and unbroken playing field is provided. For purposes of illustration, I have shown this playing lield marked for the purpose of playing the game of checkers, but it will be understood that said cover members may be provided with various other markings for the playing of other games.

he men o-r playing pieces which are adapted to be arranged upon and moved over the playing field 15 may be Conveniently kept and protected against loss in the narrow end compartments 12 of the box. In order to obtain the necessary stability and rigid support for the extended cover 14 when disposed in playing position, I may provide any snitable means for rigidly bracing and sustaining said member with respect to the rear wall of the body of the box or container. las one simple and effective means for this purpose, I have shown the main cover member 13 provided adjacent its opposite ends with the locking rods 16 which are slidably mounted in suitable bores extending in parallel relation to the end edges of said cover member. At the inner ends of these bores and in line therewith, the grooves or channels 17 are formed in the upper surface of said cover member and at each end of the groove, a laterally extending' notch or recess 18 is provided. The inner end of each of the rods 1G has an angular extension or linger piece 19.

The rear wall 6 of the box or container at each of its ends and adjacent its upper edge has an opening 2O formed therethrough with which the bores 21 in the supplementary cover member 14 are adapted to register when this member is disposed in the open position. rIhus, the rods 1G may be slidably projected thro-ugh the openings 20 and into the bores 21 of said supplementary cover member, said rods being' then rotated to position the angular ends 19 thereof in the outer notches or recesses 18 of the cover member 13. In this manner, the two cover members 13 and 14 are rigidly locked to the rear wall 6 of the box, and sustained against any possibility of accidental hinging movement relative to the w lls of the box during the playing' of the game.

lWhen it is desired to close the box, the iinger nail is engaged with the angular ends of the rods 19 toposition the same in a perpendicular position, so that said rods may be moved inwardly on the cover member 13 within the grooves 17 to disengage the same from the bores 21 of the cover member 14 and the openings 20 in the rear all of the box. The angular linger pieces 19 are then disposed within the inner notches or recesses 18 of the member 13. The cover member 14 can then be folded or moved downwardly upon the cover member 13. The two sections of the playing field on these cover members are thus protected against injury, when the game board is not in actual use.

0f course, when access is desired to the compartments 11 and 12, it will be understood that the cover member 13 is raised and moved outwardly upon the upper edge of the front wall 5 of the box. Since this cover member is disposed below the upper edges of the end wall 7 and fiush with the upper edge of the rear wall 6 when in closed position, suitable means is provided for easily and quickly lifting or raising said cover member. If desired, for this purpose, the angular ends 19 of the rods 16 may be utilized, or I may provide the upper edge of the rear wall 6 of the box with suitable notches indicated at. 22 to receive the linger nails which may thus be easily engaged with the free longitudinal edge ot' the cover member 13.

From the foregoing description considered in connection with the accompanyingl drawings, the construction, manner of use and several advantages of my improved container will be clearly and fully understood. It will be seen that by means of a` very simple construction of the cover or closure means for the container, I have provided a very serviceable game board. The box may be used as a container for vending cigars, candies, gloves, handkerchiefs or other commodities, and by reason of the fact that the cover means may be employed for the playing of games and affords a playing surface of relatively extensive area, the invention affords to the manufacturer a novel sales feature for his product as an additional inducement to the purchaser.

I have herein shown and described an embodiment of the device which I believe to be entirely practical, but it will be understood that the essen-tial features thereof may also be incorporated in various other alternative structures, and I accordingly reserve the privilege of resorting to all such legitimate changes therein as may be fairly incorporated within the spirit and scope of the invention as claimed.

I claim:

l. A box or container comprising a body open at its top, and cover means for the box body consisting of complementary members mounted upon opposite walls of the body for relative movement, each of said members adapted to extend over the entire open top of said body and disposed in superimposed relation to each other when in closed position with one of said members positioned within the open top of the box body, and the other of said cover members adapted to be moved to a laterally extending position with respect to said body and disposed in the plane of the first member, and means for releasably locking the extended member to the box body against movement in any directionV relative thereto, the upper surfaces of said members having a playing field delineated thereon, and said members constituting a game board of extensive area relative to the dimensions of the box body.

2. A box or container comprising a body open at its top, and cover means for the box body consisting of complementary members mounted upon opposite walls of the body for relative movement, each ofy said members adapted to extend over the entire open top of said body and disposed in superimposed relation to each other when in closed position, and one of said cover members adapted to be moved to a laterally extending position with respect to said body and disposed in the plane of the other of said members while the latter remains in closed position, the upper surfaces of said members having a playing field delineated thereon, said members constituting a game board of extensive area relative to the dimensions of the box body. and means for rigidly and releasably holding the laterally extending cover member against movement relative to the box body.

3. A box or container comprising a body open at its top, and cover means for the box body consisting of complementary members mounted upon opposite walls of the body for relative movement, each of said members adapted to extend over the entire open top of said body and disposed in superimposed relation to each other when in closed position, and one of said cover members adapted to be moved to laterally extending position with respect to said body and disposed in the plane of the other of said members, the upper surfaces of said members having a playing field delineated thereon, said members constituting a game board of extensive area relative to the dimensions of the box body, and manually adjustable means carried by one of said cover members and adapted to coact with one wall of the box body and with the other cover member to rigidly and releasably lock said members in the latter position against movement relative to the box body.

4. A box or container comprising a body of rectangular form open at its top and having end walls projecting above the side walls thereof, cover means for said box including complementary cover members hinged respectively upon the front and rear side walls of said body and disposed in superimposed relation to close the top of the box body, the top surface of the upper cover member being flush with the upper edges of the end walls of said box body, the opposed surfaces of said cover members having a playing field delineated thereon, and the upper cover member adapted to be moved with respect to the lower cover member and positioned in laterally extending relation to one side wall of the box body whereby the two cover members are disposed in the same plane to constitute a game board, the lower cover member remaining in position to close the top of the box body, and means for releasably locking said cover members against movement with respect to each other and with relation to the body of the box.

5. A box or container comprising a body of rectangular form open at its top and having end walls projecting above the side walls thereof, cover means for said box including complementary cover members hinged respectively upon the front and rear side walls of said body and disposed in superimposed relation to close the top of the box body, the top surface of the upper cover member being flush with the upper edges of the end walls of said box body, the opposed surfaces of said cover members having a playing field delineated thereon, and the upper cover member adapted to be moved with respect to the lower cover member and positioned in laterally extending relation to one side wall of the box body whereby the two cover members are disposed in the same plane to constitute a game board, the lower cover member remaining in position to close the top of the box body, and manually operable locking members carried by one of said cover members and adapted to be engaged with one Wall of the box body and with the other cover member to releasably lock said cover inembers in the latter position against movement with respect to each other` and with relation to the box body.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my invention, I have signed my name hereto.

MARTIN LOEVVEN'IHAL. 

